Flawed Design
by DoubleMMia
Summary: A planned ambush leaves Isabela with scars from the hideous battle. It causes a big hit on her confidence and soon she falls into depression. Whilst lusting for revenge, Hawke makes it clear she loves Isabela no matter what she looks like. F!Hawke/Isabela
1. Part I

_**Answered a prompt from kink meme where the prompt was: During a fight, Isabela gets injured. Anders patches it up but... she's got facial scarring-scar from an explosion, or from a blade/claw, whatever. For a woman who relies on her appearance, this is a big hit to her confidence, especially when men stop trying to get into her knickers as much. Cue Hawke (already LI or not) making it very clear they love her regardless of appearance.**_

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><p><strong>Part I<strong>

"Messere! Messere!"

Hawke turned to address the out of breath Bodahn with an arched brow, kneeling down and grabbing the dwarf by the shoulders so he didn't run into her. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"What is it Bodahn?" She asked with a frown, looking over her shoulder to see the same worried look sketched on each of her companions faces.

"Messere Gamlen is being quizzed by Meredith on your friendship with that young mage in the Alienage and the healer! He sent me here to fetch you!" Bodahn panted with his hands fastened around the caps of his knees, begging for breath.

Hawke stiffened at the dwarf's words, giving Varric, Aveline and Isabela a look of complete loss; for not what were they supposed to do? Meredith had been looking for her ever since Mother's death and despite how many letters Carver had sent her to stay out of trouble, Meredith still seemed to find a way to try and contact her.

Aveline took a step forward. "Me and Varric will come with you to your estate," the guardswoman motioned to Isabela a moment after who seemed uncharacteristically nonchalant about the whole thing. "Isabela will gather Merrill and Anders and take them to hide with Fenris in his mansion."

"Splendid idea, I'm sure Fenris will absolutely love two mages spending time in his household." Isabela snorted with a playful smile playing on her lips but even Hawke couldn't mistake the anxiety in the Rivaini pirate's golden hues, such anxiety shooting a painful spurt of iciness into Hawke's throat.

Aveline herself wasn't amused by Isabela's banter and crossed her arms over her armoured chest. "Better suggestions whore? And before you say anything, that was a rhetorical question."

Isabela shrugged and played idly with the hilt of her daggers. "Didn't sound much like one."

"This isn't the time to be arguing!" Hawke snapped at them both, placing a hand on Aveline's shoulder to turn the older woman towards her. "If this is the plan then lets get to it, you and Varric go on ahead."

Aveline hesitated for a moment, obviously weary about leaving both Hawke and Isabela alone but that decision was taken away from her when Varric went on ahead, calling Red behind his shoulder as he started to head his way up to Hightown.

"Be careful Hawke," Aveline said in a solemn whisper, marching after Varric with her usual soldier-like swagger.

Now alone with her pirate companion Hawke took in a deep breath and turned to face Isabela, her brow creased in concern. "Be careful out there Isabela, I don't want you getting involved with the templars if you manage to see them."

Isabela grinned at the apostate, taking a step forward until she could look down into Hawke's cold eyes with a feral smirk. "No need to be worried about me Hawke, I'm the picture of innocence around here! But you know what I was thinking, how about _not_ going to your estate? Because…How can I put this? You're a mage aren't you?"

Hawke didn't truly like where Isabela was going with this, but still she allowed Isabela to speak with a cautious nod.

"And the flaming Knight-Commander is in your estate. Call me ridiculous, but I don't think you going there is a very good idea." Strange, Hawke really had thought Isabela would come up with something ridiculous, instead she was pleasantly - if somewhat flattered - surprised at Isabela's concern.

"And what would you suggest?" Hawke found herself saying with her chin lifted up high, despite knowing that Isabela hated it when she did such a thing but she couldn't help it; Isabela was by far much taller then herself and that alone made Hawke feel slightly intimidated by the older Rivaini pirate. "It doesn't matter what the Knight-Commander wants, I'm under the protection of the viscount."

"Oh Hawke, you naïve little thing." Isabela replied with a quirk of her lips, stepping back down one step so that she was straight in the middle of the stairway to Hightown and Lowtown. "Keep believing that if you want, but here's a tip. Don't get stabbed." Isabela threw Hawke a wink after that, turning her back on the apostate to start her descent down the stairway.

"Isabela!" Hawke called after the pirate, growling slightly at how Isabela didn't bother to turn around to look at her. "Stay out of trouble!"

"I'll try!" Isabela called back up with a gleeful laugh, the lie making Hawke's ears ring with concern before the apostate shrugged it off. Isabela was making her too soft.

* * *

><p>"Ooh are we going to see Anders?" Merrill asked Isabela with her big, kitten-like eyes that made Isabela soften instantly. "I hear his found a kitten now! Maybe that will make him smile a bit more."<p>

Isabela smirked and let one lone finger caress the palm of Merrill's hand that was clamped fiercely around her own, gently pulling the elven mage along the dark corridors of Darktown with her amber eyes searching everywhere for thieves and thugs.

"Anders wouldn't smile even if you paid him Kitten…" Isabela whispered with a slight chuckle, creeping through the shadows as though she was gliding on thin ice; soft and silent and completely focused.

"I think Hawke would like him more if he smiled, he certainly likes Hawke!" Merrill said brightly and rather loudly, forgetting that Isabela had told her not to raise her voice too loud.

Isabela couldn't find it in her to scold her young elven friend and instead gave Merrill what she hoped to be a kind frown (although she was pretty sure such a thing did not go together) and wide eyes. "Kitten if he likes Hawke then he'll need more than a nice smile, he needs a good body too and a shave. His stubble is getting too gritty even for my tastes."

Merrill giggled quietly in reply, finally getting the message that she was supposed to be quieter than she had been the past five minutes. "And you would know everything Hawke likes in a person would you?"

Isabela opened her mouth to reply but stopped when she felt cold steel grasp at her shoulder, throwing her away from Merrill and into the wall opposite where they had been sneaking through Darktown's ducts, groaning at the pain when her head hid a wooden beam.

"Isabela!" She heard Merrill scream soon after she had managed to get up with shaky legs, opening her eyes to see that five templars were surrounding Merrill with their swords held to the young girl's throat - such a sight causing rage to bubble in Isabela's stomach.

The aftershock of her attack quickly formed into vicious adrenaline and without a second thought Isabela lunged at the templars with a yell, scattering them all with two daggers piercing through the weak points of their armour; taking two down with clear precision and accuracy.

Merrill snapped to attention at her howl and instantly Isabela was surrounded by fire and blood, the burning egging her on to rush and stab at the templar's plated armour; desperately looking for weaknesses whilst trying to keep them away from Merrill at the same time.

"Where is Hawke?" Isabela heard one of the templars yell at them both before charging headlong at the young elven mage, causing panic to rocket into Isabela's body and for herself to jump onto the templar's back until he fell and landed on top of her. A stupid move, made of desperation and foolishness and love. She'd rather die than let those bloodthirsty bastards lay a hand on Merrill, her kitten.

Isabela kicked the templar off her with frantic movements of her legs, groaning at the pain that had started to make its way up her body due to the sharp edges of the templar's armour digging into her.

Ice crept over the templar's body almost immediately after Isabela had managed to get away and without thought, Isabela stomped down onto the ice until it broke along with the templar's body; turning around to glare at the two templars that were slowly advancing on Merrill.

One raised their hand and all of a sudden Merrill was thrown around like a rag doll with white light surrounding her, making the young mage cry out in pain and for her to slump back down to the ground completely breathless.

_She can't cast her spells, _Isabela realised quickly when Merrill's eyes widened and the elf quickly backed away from the templars on her hands, _she's completely helpless_.

Thinking purely on instinct, Isabela threw both of her daggers at the templars; hitting one directly in the face when he turned at the sound of her grunt and bouncing off the other's plate and sprawling back towards her.

"Hey!" Isabela screamed at the last remaining templar, grabbing her lone dagger and rushing at the templar with all the speed she could manage on her aching legs; literally throwing herself towards the templar with everything she had.

Said templar met her dagger with his longsword, pressing down onto the blade with such pressure that it surprised Isabela enough that she fell onto her knees; not able to believe that she had somehow managed to fuck her plan up enough that this templar was pushing her harder and harder downwards.

It took both of her hands to keep the dagger upright and steady and for that reason alone was the reason why she had no resistance to the kick that hit against her chest, throwing her backwards and causing her back to arch unpleasantly and for her fingers to slip and lose her dagger.

And then she felt the armour of the templar fall down upon her, pinning her uselessly against the muddy slush of Darktown with her body writing angrily against the cold armour, hands pushing and griping at the edges of the templar's armour to try and push him off her.

It was like fighting with a dragon, his hands gripped at her hair, yanking her head back and then blinding her vision with a punch that left her seeing stars and then before she could try and recover she felt steel pierce her right cheek, slicing her skin open.

And that was before she felt him rip and tear at her clothes, his sword stabbing into her shoulder and pinning her there with such pain that Isabela cried out in anguish; thrashing out as hard as she could to try and get the templar off her, to try and stop him from slicing and cutting at her stomach and arms with pure will alone.

A burning sensation swallowed her whole and for a moment Isabela thought that she had somehow managed to set herself on fire, that was of course until she felt the templar roll off her with a scream so inhumane that Isabela slammed her eyes shut to battle against the noise.

She felt numb and despite the loud shrieking coming from the templar, Isabela couldn't help but feel as though she was drifting away, as though her head was drifting away from her body and all that remained was complete staggering pain that ripped at her at all angles.

"Isabela!" She could just about hear Merrill call to her, the sound of those little elven feet pattering towards her making Isabela heave in a huge gust of air; slowly lifting her arms up to try and grasp at Merrill's cheek when the elf came into view with a look of complete horror on her face.

The sounds of screaming had drowned away until all Isabela could hear was Merrill's blurred words and her heavy breathing, falling in and out of consciousness even when Merrill squeezed her hand to try and keep her awake.

"Oh don't die Isabela!" Merrill was saying with tears in her eyes and Isabela wished that she could reach up to tell her kitten that it fine, she was fine, but such thoughts were more than mere lies. "I'll get you some help! J-just stay here!"

Isabela took in another deep breath the same time Merrill let go of her hand, running back through the ducts and throwing a worried glance over her shoulder before the mage turned a corner.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe this!" Hawke raged as quietly as she could, storming through Lowtown's streets with Aveline and Varric at her side. "Who would sell us out to Meredith? I don't remember having so many enemies last year!"<p>

"Well shit," Varric started and brought his hand up to her face, his pinky in the air. "First one would be that Grace for locking her up in the Gallows, the other would be Daisy's clan who practically told us if we even let one go in their direction they'd stab us right up the arse and I'm sure some templars are after you too Hawke."

"Well, apart from them!" Hawke answered back with another sigh, giving Aveline a guarded look. "Unless you'd like to talk to me about anything Aveline?"

Aveline shot the apostate a glare. "I hope you're joking Hawke."

Hawke opened her mouth to reply to her redheaded friend however found herself silenced by the sound of very familiar screaming and the scene of Merrill tumbling down the Lowtown stairs to rush at the group; tears streaming down her face.

"Hawke! HAWKE!" Merrill yelled at them through the crowd, pushing against humans, elves and dwarves alike to get to them without any avail. "I need your help Hawke! Isabela's injured!"

Hawke felt the coil of anxiety that had formed into her stomach snap and without delay she too pushed through the crowd to get to the elven mage, shoving two men away from her, sidestepping another and jumping over a dwarf until she managed to fight her way through.

"What do you mean she's injured? She's with Fenris and Anders isn't she?" Hawke asked in a rugged whisper, then realizing that Merrill herself was here in Lowtown she added, "and what did I tell you? Stay with Fenris until I come to collect you!"

"No!" Merrill protested with a shake of her head, tears hitting Hawke in the face and surprising the apostate at the severity of Merrill's tears. "She was taking me to Ander's clinic when we were attacked by templars, we fought most of them off but one dispersed my energy so I couldn't cast anything! And so Isabela tried to take care of him and now she's lying in the ducts of Darktown with no one else there!"

Hawke's eyes widened and before she could stop herself she took hold of Merrill's shoulders, fingernails gently digging into the pale skin. "What's her condition? How bad is she Merrill?"

"The templar stabbed at her and slashed her face! Oh ma vhenan it was horrible! Please Hawke we need to go! I don't think she's going to make it!" Merrill said with a sniff and used her free hand to wipe at her hand and nose.

"What?" Hawke exploded with a burst of anger, shaking Merrill angrily by the shoulders; ignoring Aveline's and Varric's protests even when they tried to pull her away from the elf. "You left her there? What were you thinking? She could be dead and we wouldn't bloody know!"

"Hawke! Calm down!" Aveline ordered with such a commanding tone that Hawke pushed Merrill away in disgust at herself, ignoring the feelings of contempt that wriggled around inside her.

"Take us to her." Hawke said a few seconds later, anger feeding her tone with colourful fury that was so rancid she was finding it hard to look at anyone in the eye without feeling revolted with herself.

Merrill looked at her pityingly the moment Hawke lifted her eyes and that just wasn't fair, it wasn't Merrill's fault no matter how much Hawke wanted to believe it was to get that guilt off her shoulders.

Aveline touched Merrill's shoulder and Hawke could only just about hear the guards captain whisper '_she doesn't mean what she's saying, she's just scared'_ and that, well that…

It was true.

* * *

><p>Another deep breath. Strange, she didn't really think this was how she was going to die - for someone else? And for someone who wasn't Hawke? It seemed a bit bizarre but Isabela had never made it any secret to anyone at how much she cared for her kitten, she'd never let any templar touch her.<p>

Her faced burned with every sensation possible and Isabela could smell the burnt flesh of her cheek much more clearer than the pain she felt at it, however it felt more like relief than a burden to feel such pain rather than be rid of it.

At least this way she knew she was actually alive. Not numb anymore, just purely alive even if she felt as if someone had ripped out her vocal cords and had strangled her with them.

How long had she been down here? It felt so long since Merrill had left and yet all Isabela could think of was how pissed Hawke would be at getting herself injured, at getting Hawke all worked up and worried as if Hawke's emotions were _her_ fault.

"Isabela!" Funny thing that, Hawke seemed to appear every time Isabela's mind wandered onto the grumpy apostate and while it had always amused Isabela this time she felt a unfamiliar sensation of relief rush through her.

Varric was the first to run into her line of sight and with a quiet groan Isabela turned her head to address the dwarf with a thin smile, said smile fading when the dwarf's eyes widened and he murmured something that sounded suspiciously like damnation.

Merrill next, her little kitten with tears that were still running down her reddened cheeks; eyes rimmed an unearthly red colour and her pale fingers were entwined with her own, so fierce and strong for little meek Merrill.

Aveline was just behind Merrill, her strong posture that had intimidated so many men and women looking crumbled and the once fierce expression was one of complete horror; another blow that struck Isabela firmly across the face and chest, another blow that stung.

Isabela choked on the air that filled her lungs the moment she breathed in more deeply than before, weakly pinching at her throat even when it became too much for her to handle and soon she let her arm fall limp at her side again; staring up at the ceiling of Darktown's ducts with disgust.

Mud squelched under a boot to her right and Isabela really can't mistake a fluid yet solemn voice like Hawke's, not even if she was a stranger could she mistake such a thing that alone was what made Isabela turn to see Hawke for the first time since the incident; to grin and murmur. "I lied."

It hurt to speak to Hawke like this but Isabela felt more than pain when Hawke turned her eyes away from her to stare at her companions, eyes alight with something that Isabela guessed to be appease.

"Did you kill him?" Isabela heard Hawke ask Merrill and when she blinked again the appeasement that had settled in Hawke's eyes only moments before was replaced with white-hot anger. "Merrill, did you kill him?"

Merrill shook her head and Isabela felt her own head fall back into the mud of Darktown, panting heavily and shivering at the cold that was seeping through her skin due to her shredded clothes.

"Hawke for Maker's sake cover her up." Ah good ol' lady manhands, always ready to get straight to business and for once Isabela found herself being grateful for it. "She'll catch a cold if you leave her like this."

Isabela caught Hawke's icy eyes for a flicker of a second before she was being wrapped in Aveline's cloak and held in the apostate mage's arms, feeling jagged amounts of pain spurting through her like thunder and lightning when Hawke pressed down hard on her.

Hawke was such a short arse that Isabela was surprised the mage had enough strength to carry her, yet whenever Hawke faltered and Aveline tried to help Hawke growled and moved further ahead on their path to Ander's clinic. Or that's where Isabela hoped they were going.

"Hawke I know you're angry." Aveline again, it was becoming hard to tell the difference between them all now; she was feeling ridiculously dizzy. "But don't do anything you'll regret."

"Do anything I'll regret? Believe me Aveline, I won't do anything I'll regret." Hawke answered with a bitter snarl, shoving past an unsuspecting child and ducking a low beam with such speed and accuracy that Isabela felt herself grow more and more dizzy. "Some people just deserve a knife through the middle."

Isabela chuckled slyly to herself, not truly knowing why she was laughing but what did it matter?

She closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>Hawke refused to leave Ander's clinic for absolutely anything for the week that followed, sitting outside on a rotten crate with her eyes looking outward at the passing strangers that looking at her as though she was the scum of the earth.<p>

Anders came out of his clinic often to talk to her, offering her comfort when Hawke's hope seemed to dim each time she went inside the clinic to see if Isabela was doing alright to see the pirate captain lying there; falling in and out of consciousness with her corrupted scars and burns marring her face completely.

"A few more days Hawke and she'll be fine." Anders had said the day after Hawke had taken Isabela to his clinic, a worn smile on his face that Hawke had grown accustomed to when she knew the healer was lying.

"I'll stay here." Hawke had replied, remembering the way Aveline's face had lit up with relief.

That relief wouldn't last long because as soon as Isabela got back on her feet she'd go hunting, she didn't care how long it took for her to find the bastard responsible for doing it to Isabela and she didn't care what happened to her afterwards but what she did care about was if she could catch him or not and if so, how long would she be able to put him through as much pain as he put Isabela through before ending his pathetic life.

Anders interrupted her thoughts yet again with a pat on her shoulder, signalling for her to follow him into the clinic where surprisingly both Sebastian and Aveline was standing over where Isabela lay (Hawke hadn't seen them come in, had they not wanted to talk to her?) with hands on their hips.

"Well shit big girl! Have I hit the Golden City already? Your face is the first I've seen!" Isabela's laughter filled the clinic and Hawke's heart skipped a beat and fighting the urge to rush over to Isabela straight away she instead strode over to the pirate with a slow walk; using such time to try and get her vocal cords to actually work again.

"Hardly whore, you're in the Void and that's where you're staying." Aveline responded with a slight chuckle, sitting down next to Isabela's bedside with her chin resting in her palm. "Don't worry, Hawke will soon be joining you so you won't have to sex everyone up in there."

Sebastian looked disgusted at the both of them, surprising Hawke into smiling a little before wiping it off her face. "Please I don't think it's entirely fair to have such a conversation about the Maker like this, he obviously was not finished with you yet Isabela."

"I knew I was just a big toy to the Maker!" Isabela declared with another laugh and that was when Hawke just about reached the bedside of the Rivaini pirate, her heart still hopelessly stuck in her throat despite trying to clear it multiple times.

Aveline met her eyes with a firm nod and a brief smile, the gesture causing Isabela to glance over her shoulder and for her to grin at Hawke's appearance; words already spilling out of her lips as though they'd never stop.

"Well Hawke! And here I thought you'd be the first to greet me!" Isabela said with a laugh, leaning back on the wooden board of her bed and smiling up at the apostate. "Well go on, tell me, is my face still intact?"

Hawke stiffened and cursed silently at herself when Isabela's full-blown grin loosened slightly into a miniature smile.

She covered it up quickly by plastering a confused look on her expression, something unusual that would hopefully throw Isabela off. "What? Of course your face is still intact, why wouldn't it be?"

Isabela sighed haughtily and gave both Sebastian and Aveline an amused look under her dark lashes although it wasn't enough to fool Hawke that everything was fine because how could it be? She could see this hesitation (something she never thought she'd see in Isabela) start to creep under the Rivaini pirate's skin and that made Hawke shudder despite herself.

"You're the fourth person who's told me that today!" Isabela said with a shake of her, looking more and more like she was trying to strain her amusement so that Hawke wouldn't mistake it as anything _but_ amusement. It wasn't working. "Come on Hawke, get a mirror and show me! I know you will, come _on_!"

Hawke took in Isabela's face as careful as she could, examining the harsh scars that started just above Isabela's right eye and zigzagged down her cheek to her throat with complete sorrow that Hawke despised in herself; this wasn't how she was supposed to view Isabela but she just couldn't help but feel sorry for her friend and her lover.

Isabela's voice turned unbelievably soft all of a sudden and soon enough Hawke felt Isabela's fingers wrap around her wrist tightly; the former captain's features pulled together in frustration. "For the love of everything virgin and sweet Hawke! Get a mirror so I can have a look!"

Hawke breathed in slowly with a tilt of her head, gesturing for both Sebastian and Aveline to follow her as she walked up towards where Anders was sitting with another patient; her mind swimming with the possibilities and the outcomes of how Isabela would react.

"Don't think I don't know you're speaking about me Hawke you tit!" Isabela called after her, making Hawke smile slightly before wiping the turn of her lips off her face with clear precision. "It's not like you make it blatantly unobvious! A blind nug could tell!"

"We're deciding which mirror for you to look at so you wouldn't flog the next day!" Aveline yelled back before Hawke could even think of replying, nodding when Hawke murmured a thanks and turned a corner so that all three of them were squished into the far corner of Ander's clinic.

"Nobody would buy the shit you'd pick out man hands!" Came Isabela's muffled reply and it took everything inside Hawke not to chuckle at her pirate's eloquent way of words.

"Hawke, my friend, I feel that is in my right to tell you that maybe giving Isabela a mirror is not the best way to break this to her."

Hawke's eyes narrowed dangerously and Aveline sighed with a palm coming up to cup her forehead, one of these days Sebastian would realise that Hawke was a woman full of hot-headedness and that saying things that may sound simple enough was going to aggravate the apostate when it came to Isabela.

"How else would you like me to break it to her?" Hawke snapped fiercely despite desperately trying to keep her voice down. "This is going to be a huge hit on her confidence, I just know it…"

Aveline placed a comforting hand on Hawke's shoulder, making every warm feeling Hawke had ever felt for her redheaded friend come streaming back like hot water being thrown over her. "Then do what you can gently as possible, if I know that whore as well as I think I do then she'll take it in her stride; she's strange like that."

"I don't know what else to do Aveline, it's been some time since we've talked about…That." Hawke pouted out her lower lip, giving Aveline the softest eyes she could manage without allowing the guard captain to feel as though she was becoming…emotional.

Aveline smiled tightly, her cheeks flushed at the obvious memory of how Hawke, Isabela, Varric and Merrill had managed to help her be with the man she loved today and how both herself and Hawke had that one thing in common.

They both struggled with admitting what they felt for other people and while it was awkward, both Aveline and Hawke made such a quality a mutual kinship.

"Do what you think is best Hawke, we'll be leaving to give you two some time alone." Aveline shot the prince of Starkhaven a glare over her shoulder, gesturing for him to follow her with a tilt of her head. "Come on, I think you've caused enough trouble today."

"I was just trying to help!" Hawke heard Sebastian protest as he walked past, the sound of their footsteps dying away until all that was left was the sound of ill patients moaning in pain and Ander's whispers of magic.

Hawke picked up the side mirror that was next to her and made her way back over to where Isabela sat, stopping still immediately at the sight of Isabela with a mirror already in her hand; touching and prodding at the scars and the burns around her face.

When Isabela's hot, amber hues got caught in Hawke's cold, blue ones Hawke felt herself freeze slightly, her fingers curling into fists to allow her fingernails to bite at the palm of her hands viciously.

"It's not so bad," Isabela said with a shrug and a smile, tracing the scars from her eye to her neck with a little wince. "Could be worse I guess, good thing Anders patched it up eh? And who knows! Some people find scars sexy!"

Hawke remained silent, choosing to walk over to where Isabela sat at the end of her makeshift bed to sit beside the rogue with her hands in her lap; studying the encrusted gold mirror with feigned fascination.

"Everyone has scars Isabela," Hawke replied as soft as she could without touching the pirate, not truly knowing if she should or not considering the state Isabela was in at the moment. "Though I suppose that yours are very uhm…Life-like?"

Isabela eyed her with a frown, placing the mirror down with a surprising amount of force that made the mirror make a crunching sound soon after. It shocked Hawke at how loud it was.

"Alas Hawke, you were supposed to comment on my fine features and such," Isabela murmured with a childish glint in her eyes, nudging the apostate next to her with her elbow. "But you and your way of wooing is very, _very_ bad. I guess I should count myself lucky I don't get this off you all the time."

Hawke nodded with a gulp, feeling the awkwardness start to seep into her bones and blood.

"I try my best." She added weakly, turning her head with great difficulty to see that Isabela had gotten up from where she had sat on the make-shift bed; eyes straight ahead and determined.

"Where are you going?" Hawke asked hesitantly, not knowing whether she should be more aggressive with the pirate as she usually was or to give Isabela break - by Maker, she deserved it.

"To the Hanged Man obviously!" Isabela replied with a tone that was full to the brim of strained contentment, turning her back on Hawke even when the apostate got up to grab at her wrist.

"Isabela." Hawke stated simply, taking hold once more of Isabela's wrists and forcing the pirate captain to stare at her. "You need to rest yourself before you can go out of Ander's clin-"

"Hawke!" Isabela snapped all of a sudden, wrenching her hands away from Hawke's grip and glaring angrily into Hawke's cold eyes. "I'm fine, leave me be will you? Go talk to Aveline or something, I need a bloody drink away from you for the time being!"

Hawke didn't even glare at the captain this time and maybe that was why Isabela looked even more hurt than she had before, grumbling about Hawke's 'antics' as she trudged her way out of Ander's clinic.

She let the pirate go, for now she'd bide her time in finding names, dates and locations that would help her in her investigation.

The hunt was on.


	2. Part II

**Part II**

Hawke doesn't see Isabela properly for two months afterwards, instead she just see's vignettes of her, little flickers before Isabela disappears out of the Hanged Man and into the dirty street of Lowtown and Darktown.

Varric and Merrill are the only ones who Isabela actually talks to anymore and that hurts Hawke more than she can actually say, she feels this wild emotion about the Rivaini pirate and without actually talking to her for two months is something Hawke isn't used to.

The reaction to Isabela's scars was far worse than what Hawke had thought, instead of them feeling repulsed or somewhat disgusted at Isabela's look the usual group of Hawke's companions took on a different stance of being sympathetic and pitying; something shoddier than repulsion or disgust and without even talking to Isabela, Hawke could tell it was upsetting the pirate.

But Hawke can't talk to her despite how much she misses her, she just can't bring herself to look Isabela in the eye and say _'I failed you' _because Merrill had told her that the templars had been looking for her, seeking for her and her only and Hawke hadn't been there to help them.

Aveline was also keeping an eye on Isabela for a very good reason, the men at the Hanged Man knew a victim when they saw one and whilst Hawke and Aveline both understood that Isabela was no simple picking the pity tugged at their hearts and so it was _that_ easy to be worried about Isabela that they didn't feel any guilt about looking out for the pirate.

Despite feeling miserable about not seeing Isabela for what felt like years instead of months Hawke had her own duties, said duties involving getting a meeting with Meredith about the templar that had attacked Isabela on false charges. It was completely insane considering how little time Meredith wasted on her anyhow, but Hawke didn't know where else to turn.

It was unwise for her to be walking the streets of Lowtown at night by herself anyhow but Aveline had advised her to get out more instead of moping, sure it was her own fault for picking the time to have a walk be at night but it still made her uneasy.

Hawke turned a corner, eyes widening when she saw that Isabela was stalking away from a group of men with her eyes glued to the floor; looking as though someone had pretty much kicked her dog.

She quickened her pace towards the pirate with her legs aching due to the strain (it'd been so long since they had been used, wallowing in bed can do that to people), grunting angrily when Isabela's eyes met her own and darkened in frustration - obviously displeased at meeting Hawke here.

"Isabela," Hawke murmured with another grunt accompanying her speech, following the pirate when Isabela sighed and turned another corner, more than likely heading towards the docks. "Isabela for Maker's sake! Talk to me!"

In return Isabela halted, the result being that Hawke walked straight into her back; making them both stumble forwards.

Hawke rubbed at her nose for a moment before stepping forward, her eyes narrowed and assertive in her search for mapping out each dark expression on Isabela's face; wondering silently what each meant.

Isabela sighed and rubbed at the nape of her neck. "I'm fine Hawke don't worry about me so much, it's not like I'm going to get murdered or raped or anything else gruesome enough that even Varric wouldn't include it in his _fantastic_ novels."

Hawke snorted and brought a hesitant hand up to rest on the pirate's shoulder, unsure on why she was doing such a thing - was it to give some sort of false comfort? Hawke had never understood such things, it was one of the reasons why Bethany had followed her around when she was a child; to help Hawke understand her own emotions and actions when she herself did not.

"You're everything but fine Isabela-" Hawke started with what she thought to an entirely reasonable tone of voice until Isabela shoved her back with her palm digging into Hawke's stomach.

Isabela's eyes flashed dangerously and Hawke was met with a punch to her face when she opened her mouth to speak again, the pain that exploded into her skin at Isabela's fist making her cradle her cheek with a scowl.

"What was that for?" Hawke growled with an angry shake of her head, taking an unsteady step forward so she could glare more heatedly into Isabela's fiery amber hues.

Isabela shrugged and held up her hands, mockingly feigning her innocence. "Listen Hawke, I don't need to explain myself to you at this time of night."

Hawke let out a bitter laugh, arching her brows at the Rivaini pirate and cocking her hips to one side. "Yes Isabela, you actually do need to explain to me!"

Isabela smirked and Hawke didn't know what was worse, Isabela smirking at her or the fact that Isabela was smirking because of her. Either way, it usually led to them getting into another argument.

"Well you know me Hawke," the pirate raised a fist and knocked it against Hawke's other cheek. "When a girl wants a punch, she wants to punch."

"But why?" Hawke asked with obvious exasperation, dropping her injured cheek and glaring up at the taller woman to try and once more get an advantage over the conversation. "You've never punched me before!"

"I haven't?" Isabela looked shocked at the notion, scratching her scarred face with a wince overcoming her features when the nail of her thumb caught a calloused edge. "Well maybe I should do it more often, you might need it."

Hawke answered with another menacing glare, eyeing Isabela's burnt and scarred face with hooded eyes so that the pirate wouldn't catch onto what she was studying and react badly towards it.

Isabela instead smirked again and started down the steps, dismissing the route to the docks to follow the path upwards to the Hanged Man. "Well goodbye Hawke! I crave a drink and I know that I won't get one _anywhere_ near you so I'll just be going…"

Hawke rolled her eyes in frustration at the pirate's antics, sidestepping so that she blocked Isabela's path which only made Isabela groan and throw up her arms with another bolt of anger flashing through her eyes.

"What do you want from me Hawke? All I want is a bloody drink!" Isabela said with a growl, attempting to push past the younger woman with another shove but this time Hawke stood her ground.

"I want us to go for a walk." Hawke said simply with another look at Isabela's scars and burns, gesturing with a tilt of her head towards the docks. "You have your ship and you still haven't shown me around."

Isabela snorted and once more pushed at Hawke's shoulder, allowing her fingers to curl around the thin bone and for her nails to prod at the pale skin. "Hawke, piss off."

Hawke shook her head and took a determined step forward, allowing her breath to mingle with Isabela's own for a moment until she felt Isabela's fingers caress at the skin of her lower back; the touch making Hawke pull away to stare even more fiercely into the Rivaini captain's eyes.

"Show me your ship, insipid pirate." Hawke found herself demanding with another arch of a lone eyebrow, silently challenging Isabela to disagree. "You've ignored me for two months, I think I deserve some time with you."

It was one of the few moments Hawke managed to catch Isabela off her guard but it was sweet nonetheless - a word Hawke had grown uncomfortably used to - to see Isabela's eyes narrow in hesitation and for her brow to wrinkle nervously in such an uncharacteristic way it made Hawke feel warm inside.

But emotions repelled both herself and Isabela and that just made their relationship that much more difficult, it was a match made in hell and everyone knew it but was far too kind to say (apart from Aveline of course, Hawke can remember Aveline drilling doubts into her head about Isabela since the first time Aveline opened the front door of her bedroom to find Isabela naked) and yet Isabela and herself had 'confirmed' their '_feelings_' for one another.

"Come on." Hawke urged Isabela with her fingers trailing up Isabela's spine in an open invitation despite the feel of the pirate tensing underneath her touch, it was like holding a diamond in her arms; all edges and spikes that dug into Hawke in all the wrong places. "I deserve to see it don't you think?"

Isabela thumbed at the collar of Hawke's armour, unbuttoning it and traced the skin underneath Hawke's chin with a calloused finger before chuckling and wrapping her lips around Hawke's ear.

Hawke had to remind herself to breathe, it'd been so long since Isabela had even touched her and the smell of the pirate was intoxicating enough to leave her into a drunken stupor.

She growled at her own embarrassment. This was foolish, she wasn't some starry-eyed virgin yet Isabela made her feel like one. It was nerve-wracking.

"You can see my ship…" Isabela purred with a little laugh, her hand coming up from stroking Hawke's skin to rub at Hawke's lips. "If we get to go below deck."

Hawke moved away from Isabela's embrace with hard eyes (a resistance to the desire that shone in Isabela's own) to accompany the harsh panting escaping from her mouth.

"Take me then." Hawke demanded with a sly smirk, turning her back on Isabela to make her way to the docks and Isabela's ship. It was a ship Isabela now regretted owning but Hawke had insisted that she keep it, it was either that or she'd buy a new one and Isabela was already angry at her for getting her gifts in the first place.

"I'll do more than that!" Isabela said behind her and Hawke could imagine a mischievous smile dancing away on the pirate's lips. "And to think I thought I wasn't going to miss you for the months we've been away from one another!"

Hawke didn't know if Isabela had heard herself properly or if Isabela had meant something different entirely. Still the words that had spilled from the Rivaini captain's mouth made her smile sadly, despite what Isabela thought Hawke was not interested in sex at the moment - instead the only thing plaguing her mind was getting Isabela back to her normal self.

It contained one of the things that Hawke hated doing with Isabela, mostly because it was completely serious and while Hawke could do serious she knew that Isabela struggled at it.

* * *

><p>As soon as Hawke stepped on the ship that had once belonged to Castillion she dropped her stave and kicked it away from her, a foolish, reckless move that not only made Isabela sigh but made the pirate roll her eyes at Hawke's dramatics.<p>

"I knew you weren't going to take that armour off without a fight," Hawke heard Isabela murmur behind her in such a defeated tone that she wondered for half a moment if it was actually Isabela talking to her. "Fine, I'll just be leaving then."

Hawke felt the impatience that had been itching inside her head for some time explode into a full wave of fury, said wave giving her enough adrenaline to turn and spiritually create a wall of bricks; blocking Isabela's path back to Lowtown.

"We need to talk properly Isabela," Hawke explained slowly, silently revelling in the way Isabela's eyes narrowed in annoyance at being talked at as though she was a child. "You can't keep ignoring the situation that's happened to you."

"And why not?" Isabela snorted with raised brows, thumbing the leather that was wrapped around each of her daggers with obvious anxiousness - another thing that put Hawke on edge. "It's not like anyone else talks about it, you and Aveline are practically bitching at every _lovely_ citizen of Kirkwall that even thinks about mentioning it!"

Hawke tried to keep the surprise from appearing on her face but from the way Isabela rolled her eyes again she could tell that was a complete failure too. Hawke growled angrily and turned away, eyes fixing onto the gentle waves Isabela's ship sat upon.

"What? Not even a scowl? Not a sly joke?" Isabela teased with a chuckle, the sound making Hawke bristle despite willing herself not to. "You're truly so easy to work up! Once you're done brooding I'll gladly get rid of some of that stress."

Hawke groaned at the feel of Isabela's breath on the back of her neck, turning to face the pirate with her right hand reaching out to grasp at Isabela's wrist once more; allowing Hawke enough access to push the pirate backwards a step so she could try and gain dominance of the situation again.

"Stop it will you? I want to talk to you!" Hawke scowled with her fingers tightening around Isabela's wrist.

"Oh fine!" Isabela scoffed with a wrench of her arm, sending Hawke back a few steps. "What do you want to bloody speak about? You're worse than Aveline! Right now, all I want is to speak to Kitten and Varric; they don't pester me like you do."

"Why _have_ you been ignoring me?" Hawke asked instantly with a shake of her head, caressing the skin below her chin with her stomach wriggling and churning like angry snakes. "You don't even let me see you anymore. Maker's breath Isabela, you've had me worried about you!"

"Oh for the love of…" Isabela groaned, resting her head against the intricate statue that was part of the ship's bow. "I wasn't ignoring you on purpose! I just know how you are when it comes to _things_ like this…"

"Like what?" Hawke asked dully, crossing her arms over her armoured chest with a glare.

"Overprotective, nice, uhh…Some other ridiculously nice things I suppose…" Isabela started with her lower lip trapped between her teeth, looking deep in thoughts that Hawke knew weren't exactly deep at all. "It's just not the way I want you to be when you're with me."

Hawke froze at the words that spilled out of Isabela's mouth, surprised at how at those words alone every sensible thought in her mind had become muddled and completely useless.

"Wait…" Hawke desperately tried to get a proper grasp of her thoughts so she could piece them together to form a sentence that would at least sound reasonable instead of sounding like an idiot had strung her sentences together. "You avoided me because you thought I'd act differently than I usually would when I'm around you?"

It didn't take a genius to figure out that answer but Hawke wasn't quite sure, there had to be more to it otherwise Isabela wouldn't be trying so hard to push her away all the damn time - there must be something else that was bothering the Rivaini.

"I don't know alright?" Isabela muttered over her shoulder with another loud sigh, straining up from the post she was leaning on to give Hawke a hard stare that not only made Hawke uncomfortable but made her avert her eyes so the captain wouldn't see the guilt inside her own hues. "This whole scarring thing? It's like an itch I can't scratch! It's been bugging me ever since I saw Fenris's damn face change from a scowl to something that looked like pity for more than a bloody minute."

"Ignore him then," Hawke said with a shrug, smirking hesitantly when Isabela looked at her with her brows arched in surprise. "Things like that shouldn't bother you remember? Besides it's just a regular reaction, nothing to worry about."

"I've tried Hawke!" Isabela protested and for what felt like the hundredth time today Hawke was genuinely surprised to hear the change of tone that was a mere echo to the usual vibrant and mischievous voice Isabela normally held. "But I can't just stop thinking about it. It's not even the fact that I don't even get flirted with as much as I used to - _though that is more than disappointing, nobody's touched my arse in weeks_ - it's just the fact that you all treat me different is the thing that's bugging me like a bad rash!"

Hawke willed herself to take a step forward towards the pirate and another when Isabela remained silent, hands twitching nervously at her side as image after image collided simultaneously together again and again.

"All this because of those scars on your face?" Hawke growled out with a shake of her head, feeling anger and rage boil fiercely in her blood at herself as well as the others - it had not been right of them to treat Isabela differently just because of something unfortunate, she was still the same Isabela and now Hawke understood fully that Isabela wanted to be treated the same as she always had been by her friends. Not by mere strangers.

"Who cares?" Hawke raised her voice with an even gruffer sound making her tone sound low and hollow. "You're still Isabela, _my_ Isabela whether you like it or not."

Isabela gave her a glare. "Piss off Hawke."

Hawke laughed quietly at Isabela's reaction, swerving to the side to avoid Isabela's punch that the pirate had obviously been working her way up to for quite a while. "No, I'm not leaving you here by yourself."

Isabela glanced over at her suspiciously, indecision marring her already scarred features. "I prefer you when you're all dark, cold and broody Hawke, you're acting as though you've had a personality swap with Varric."

"Varric's personality lies within the hair on his chest Isabela," Hawke said with a sadistic smile that didn't quite fit her face. "And if I remember correctly then I think I don't have any hair on _my_ chest."

Hawke didn't know if she should be pleased or worried that little quip made Isabela smirk for a moment before disappearing to be replaced with an uncharacteristic frown.

But this was getting far too light-hearted for Hawke's liking, so instead she took another step forward until her breath once more mingled with Isabela's own and her eyes met with the Rivaini's intense orbs. "I don't care what you look like. I…"

She cursed at her own irritating hesitation to voice her emotions, it was a thing that Bethany had always said would be her downfall and right now she was proving her deceased sibling right.

"We all care for you," it was a smart move Hawke decided, despite their both very _awkward_ confession to one another it was still hard for both of them to even mention the word (_love_, what a joke) without falling into even more inelegance straight afterwards. "And without you we wouldn't be the same group we are today, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Hawke had been staring at the ground when she let those words escape past her lips, but now as she looked up she was positively mortified to see that Isabela was grinning down at her with such a vicarious expression it made Hawke flush unexpectedly at the emotions that coursed through her limbs.

"What are you smiling at?" Hawke barked with a firm push towards Isabela's middle, making the pirate laugh even more when her back hit the post she had been leaning against a few minutes ago.

Isabela let out a chuckle, wiping away a stray tear that had leaked from the corner of her eye. "Hawke that was enough sugar to make Merrill bounce for a whole year! And here I thought Aveline was awful at the art of seduction!"

Hawke snarled furiously at the pirate, raising an arm in an attempt to follow through an angry punch towards Isabela's middle which of course came up short when Isabela darted to the side with another nefarious laugh.

"Aw I didn't know you cared so much." Isabela teased again and this time when Hawke swung her fist in the pirate's direction she was greeted with Isabela's lithe digits curling around her clenched hand. "It's nice to see you back to your usual broody, snarling self Hawke. I was actually starting to miss you a little!"

"I'm going to kill you!" Hawke yelled in reply, struggling to get out of Isabela's astonishingly strong grip. "And when I'm done you'll be more than bloody scarred you horrible pirate!"

Hawke really didn't understand this embarrassment all she really knew was that it was because of Isabela and that was _enough_ for her. And the way Isabela kept laughing at her! It was abhorrent!

Isabela cocked her head at her with that stupid smile playing on her lips. "Is that a blush I see on your cheeks? Hawke next time you confess your feelings so idiotically at least make sure you have your '_Mrs Cool' _face on!"

Hawke felt her frown deepen and for the annoyance she had been trying to keep under control as much as she could start to dull her senses and sharpen her tongue like the taste of Fenris's left-over wine.

"This is the last time I say anything remotely nice to you!" Hawke said under her breath with another tug that made Isabela crash into her full pelt, making them topple onto the ship's deck with a loud smacking noise.

"You're a horrible person," Hawke repeated with a roll of her eyes, trying to get up from where she lay on Isabela's ship's deck and scoffing heatedly when in return Isabela pinned her down even harder and laughed. "I spilt my bloody guts out there and you…"

Isabela covered her mouth with two gloved fingers, silencing Hawke vocally with complete effectiveness - although the glare was still a problem that Isabela would have to live with.

"Shush you. Already told you that you're going have to be patient with me…" Isabela murmured with a low chuckle in Hawke's ear, making the mage shudder and for her thighs to tense underneath Isabela's own thighs. "Besides it's not really me if I don't take the piss out of you at least once a day, night, afternoon, whatever…"

"Still doesn't mean you have to do it." Hawke mumbled pathetically against Isabela's lips, avoiding the pirate's amber hues and instead focusing her vision on Isabela's burnt and scarred side of her face.

Isabela obviously noticed. "What now?" She grumbled with a sigh that was hot and completely arousing (unfairly so) enough that it made Hawke twitch and wriggle around uncomfortably.

"I like them." Hawke said simply, managing to free a hand to trace the calloused and burnt skin of Isabela's face with awe; it was a strange experience that she oddly felt calm about. "It's nice to feel it against my skin, anyhow it's like you said. Some people find scars _very_ attractive."

Isabela arched an amused brow, sinking her body lower until Hawke felt the pirate practically melt into her own figure. "Like _you_ birdy?"

"Maybe." Hawke answered Isabela's arched brow with her own arched brows, silently challenging the pirate to Maker-knows-what because she didn't actually know herself. "Now get off so we can head back to the estate."

"We? I'll be staying here." Isabela grabbed onto Hawke's free hand that had been stroking her marred cheek and slammed it back down against the deck, grinning wickedly. "And so are you. Two months without some Hawke sex? It's ridiculous I tell you!"

"What do you mean without _Hawke_ sex?" Hawke glowered with cold eyes, trying once more to escape Isabela's grip and sighing in exasperation when she found out that she couldn't.

"Oh don't be like that Birdy," Isabela said with a roll of her eyes and a childish bob of her tongue. "I knew you'd just get jealous anyway so I just about managed to behave myself…Mostly."

"Well that's good," Hawke sniped with another sarcastic twang to her tone, trying once more to get out from under the pirate and once more failing when Isabela captured her lips in a searing kiss; the weight of such a desirable move causing Hawke's head to fall back against Isabela's ship with a firm thud.

"Birdy how you even managed to get someone in your knickers is a mystery to me." Isabela mumbled against her lips, pausing for a moment before pressing her lips chastely against Hawke's once more.

It was a strange sensation, they'd never truly kissed like this before. Always fierce and strong and hot and wet, never chaste or soft or simple.

"Got lucky." Hawke responded, scowling when Isabela slapped her thigh harder than she was accustomed to. "Although if you keep slapping me like that then maybe I'll just go…-"

Isabela's lips interrupted her again and this time Hawke felt a groan flow past her lips and into Isabela's mouth, gauntleted hand moving upwards to clutch at the flimsy material of Isabela's tunic.

Isabela chuckled lowly and before Hawke knew what was actually going on she felt the buckles on her pauldrons loosen until it literally came away in Isabela's hand (which in return Isabela threw it to the side to accompany Hawke's stave) neatly.

"Really Isabela?" Hawke said with a faint laugh, wriggling with even more anticipation than before. "Right out in the open? Where everyone can see us?"

"Of course!" Isabela nodded gleefully with a mischievous lick to Hawke's collarbone, chuckling when Hawke sighed in response. "It'll make this reunion much more delightful than it is sweet thing."

Hawke felt her body react to Isabela's ministrations as if it was instinct, her back and neck arching at the feel of the pirate's hand tracing and poking at her groin and allowed her tongue to lap at the skin underneath her lobe.

"You're a dick Isabela." Hawke groaned once she had managed to get more oxygen into her lungs, wrenching one arm away from Isabela's tight grip to rip away one of her gauntleted gloves. "You could at least warn me if we're going to be doing these sort of night-time activities so I don't have to wear so much armour."

Hawke felt the cold wind of the docks chill her stomach that had been exposed by Isabela's hands shoving up her tunic that she wore underneath her Champion armour - a gift from Kirkwall itself - and latching her lips onto a stiff nipple that had hardened considerably the moment it had been exposed to the cold air.

Hawke hissed and threaded her fingers through Isabela's hair, ripping away the scarf that was tied around Isabela's hair to expose every single dark lock that felt like silk when they were locked in between Hawke's fingers.

Isabela pulled back with an almost pop accompanying her lips departure around Hawke's nipple, looking even more smug than she had looked before. "A dick Hawke? That's the whole point, there is no dick in this little session birdy."

Hawke ignored Isabela's teasing and instead pulled the Rivaini down by the talisman she had gifted to Isabela a few nights before the attack of the templars had been leashed upon them.

She allowed herself to lick and kiss each scar that was etched onto Isabela's face, taking extra care that she didn't press onto Isabela's face too hard that it'd make the pirate jerk away from her.

"I actually do really like them," Hawke muttered against each patch of scarred skin, growling when Isabela pinched at her nipple hard in an attempt to shut her up but Hawke ignored it - she had faced worse pain than nipple-pinching. "They add a unique texture to kissing and licking at you."

Isabela snorted and pushed her hand in between Hawke's spread legs, laughing quietly at the hushed groan that escaped the apostate. "If that's the case then maybe I should have had them on my jewels instead."

"You're disgusting."

"Don't worry Hawke, we'll go at this all night if you want to!" Isabela said with a laugh, throwing her head back to stare up at the starless sky. "And you know that I love nothing more than making you come…_All night long._"

"A fair point." Hawke agreed with another hiss escaping her, her legs wrapping around Isabela's waist until the burning of her arousal rubbed against the pirate's naked thigh, giving Hawke some relief at least. "But c-can we at least go below deck? I feel uncomfortable out here."

Isabela sighed with a shake of her head. "You're such a spoil-sport Hawke. You don't even like it when I smack your arse in public."

"It's not called being a spoil-sport Isabela," Hawke said with a roll of her eyes, running a hand through Isabela's hair. "It's called being a _prude_."

"Hah! Well at least you're willing to admit it…" Isabela started with another smile appearing on her expression, this time however it actually reached her eyes as well. "I'll get that prudeness knocked right out of you. Now remember to scream loudly Birdy or Aveline won't hear us."

"Why in the Maker's name would I want Aveline to hear us?" Hawke muttered against the skin of Isabela's cheek, licking it gently and smirking when it made Isabela purr in satisfaction.

"Have you not seen Big Girl blush when I even brush against you? It's absolutely hilarious!"

"Is that why you were laughing when I was talking to that weapon smith a few months ago?"

"Why else would I be laughing if it wasn't at Aveline?" Isabela said with an arch of her brow, grinding against Hawke's lower body when the apostate tried to roll them over. "You're an idiotic shit sometimes Hawke!"

Hawke repressed the urge to punch the pirate again, instead focusing the energy onto the thoughts that weren't plaguing her head. "So…Do you feel any different now?"

Isabela stilled and for a moment she refused to meet Hawke's eyes, however that soon changed when Hawke lifted her hips up high enough that Isabela had to cling onto her shoulders to stop herself from losing balance.

Hawke met Isabela's eyes with a pained smile, still not used to working her mouth like this in comparison to moving it roughly against Isabela's own. "Well?"

Isabela let out a moan and rolled off Hawke with a little huff, crossing her arms over her chest with a sour look. "A little. Still wouldn't mind getting my hands on that bastard of a templar who did this to me though."

Hawke rolled over onto her side, pulling down her tunic once the cold chill got too much for her to handle. "Don't worry I won't let whoever did this get away with it, I'll find them."

"Still trying to save everyone from every little thing that happens to them Hawke?" Isabela sneered sulkily, refusing to meet Hawke's eyes even when the apostate tried to turn her cheek. "I don't need you to go after them when I can do it by myself."

Hawke shook her head with her own scowl creeping up on her face. "I don't care if you don't like it Isabela, I'm going to help you find him."

In return Isabela gave her a resigned look, rolling her eyes and snorting when Hawke placed a tentative hand on the her upper arm. "I'm never going to convince you am I? You're worse than Aveline."

"So you keep saying." Hawke replied with a smirk, pressing a chaste kiss under Isabela's chin and laughing when Isabela in return flicked her nose with a pout.

"Alright stop mushing me already! Go back to being cold and insolent!" Isabela said with a kick in Hawke's general direction, the reaction being that Hawke took the advantage of climbing on top of the Rivaini and brushing her nose against Isabela's cheek.

"Isabelaaa…" She purred into the pirate's ear, feeling oddly calm about her own actions and her body's movements in a way that was almost dreamlike. "You said you'd knock the prude out of me. Nothing's happening."

Isabela seemed to hesitate for a mere moment before breaking out into a grin and moving her hand over Hawke's hips to slap at the apostate's ass. "And here I thought you was just messing me around!"

"_Perish the thought_."

* * *

><p><strong>Part III? Yay or Nay?<br>Otherwise this is completed. :) Hope you enjoyed it. **


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